Childcare Issues - What Would You Do?

One of my friends called me this evening for an urgent mommy conference. She's having nanny issues and wanted to get my opinion. She also wants the opinions of the mommysphere, so if anyone has thoughts, please weigh in (and ASAP).

Here's the deal:

My friend came home early unannounced. When she got home, her nanny was in the bathroom at the front of her house. One of her twins was in my friend's bedroom... At the back of the house... Sleeping in her car seat... With the door closed. When my friend asked why her daughter was strapped in her car seat, the nanny's response was that the air conditioner repairman had to get into her daughter's bedroom upstairs. By my friend's estimation (though we're not sure), the repairman would have left an hour prior.

To cap it all off nicely, my friend also found out the nanny's been in her bed when she's gone.

My friend isn't sure what to think or what to do. Maybe this was a one time, unusual thing. Maybe this is what happens often before she gets home. No one but the nanny (and the one-year old twins who can't tell her what goes on) knows for sure.

So what's a mom to do -- push all of the what-else-does-she-do-when-I'm-not-home thoughts out her head and go about business as usual? Enroll her twins in Montessori a few months earlier than she planned (their spot is already open)? Get a new nanny? And if she gets rid of this nanny, does she give her notice or inform her on Friday that she need not return Monday?

What would you do?

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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous said...

    Get rid of the nanny. Inform her on Friday that she does not need to return on Monday so that nothing goes missing. If she can afford to do so, pay the nanny a two week severence so that it can be done with a clear conscience.

    There are some positions that you don't give termination notice to. You don't give notice to your systems adminstrators because they can completely destroy your network. You don't give notice to your cleaning lady and you don't give notice to your nanny.

    If she was planning to do Montessori, I'd try to get the kids in early just so that they don't have time to build a relationship with a new nanny only to have that new nanny go. I'm into continuity of care as much as possible.

    Just my 2¢, of course.

  2. FunnyMum said...

    If it were me, I would never be able to banish the thoughts of what else could be happening to my kids when I'm not there. And, why was the Nanny in her bed?? Of course, your friend knows her nanny better than I do. I'm sure she has some kind of gut feeling about the situation... My best advice is to go with her gut. If she fires her, Enyo's advice above is very good. If she can afford to put the twins in Montessori early, go for it. The care and entertainment is unlikely to include leaving either twin unattended in a car seat for any amount of time.

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